The basis around which the First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia was constructed was the training battalion of the Filtvelt Academy, a unit that was poorly equipped to begin with. This core was augmented with the planetary garrisons of some of the twenty-one worlds that initially seceded from the Federated Suns, but initially the entire FCM could only muster two battalions of BattleMechs, and those were mostly older 'Mechs discarded by other, better-equipped formations. The Coalition had little by way of military manufacturing to make up the shortfall, being reliant on the products produced by a subsidiary of the Quikscell Company and a small Cal-Boeing production line.[3]

The FCM was in a relatively poor state for much of the Jihad, a key factor in the decision made by the Coalition to augment its military with privateer bands through letters of marque[3] - a tactic that proved to be a disaster for the neighboring Malagrotta Cooperative.[4] Despite the problems with obtaining supplies the First was able to grow through the addition of armor forces and a sizable infantry detachment. In 3073 the First expanded further following the Coalition's acquisition of two battalions-worth of Inner Sphere Standard battle armor.[3]

In 3076 the First was on Filtvelt when the Strychnine Slavers pirate band raided the Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion factory. The pirates rapidly overcame the factory defenses and looted it. The Militia wasn't able to respond in time, and the Slavers escaped.[5] However, they did stop a second band of Slavers from kidnapping the personnel at the Coalition Armory factory.[6] Shortly thereafter the joined the Thumpers Assault Battalion in a raid on Tortuga Prime. While the First secured the landing zone with conventional infantry and armor assets, the Thumpers began their raid. The Tortugan Militia surrounded the landing zone and detonated several chemical weapons. These weapons killed most of the infantry and armor crews, but the MechWarriors and DropShip crews were able to survive.[7] These chemical weapons were a surprise to the pirates, who were angered and withdrew from the field. This allowed the First's survivors and Thumpers to leave Tortuga.[8]

By 3079 the various FCM brigades including the First had expanded substantially, although the primary expansion was through large contingents of homegrown infantry forces, rather than BattleMechs, but the various units all lacked experience. Criticisms of the lack of experience and training within FCM were valid, but the Militia didn't lack for determination; with so many local troops in its ranks, the Militia was literally fighting to defend the homes of it's soldiers.[9]

The First, having been constructed around the Academy training battalion, were regarded as having the best leadership cadre within the FCM at this point, but the unit was still rather lacklustre, as the manpower incorporated from the training battalion largely consisted of those not cut out for service in a premier Armed Forces of the Federated Suns unit. Regarded by most outside intelligence organizations as being a group of enthusiastic and talented amateurs, the First was guilty of being unimaginative, unable to compensate using the textbook-derived learning that predominated in the First against opponents who had years of actual field experience. The First was more capable than many Periphery units, particularly thanks to the battle armor forces provided years before, but needed time and experience to temper it.[9]

Still structured and organized around the Regimental Combat Team model, the First continued to grow slowly in the period immediately after the Jihad, partly because of the conscious decision by the Coalition High Command to channel new graduates from the Filtvelt Academy into the Second and Third Filtvelt Citizen's Militia as a way of improving the quality of those units. While the First demonstrated an average level of skill and ability their combat performance up to 3085 had been poor, in part because of their reliance on prepared defenses, which more experienced opponents simply circumvented.[10]

By 3145 these soldiers were more experienced, and trained continually in the Light Combat Team model of the AFFS. The First took the LCT idea to a new extreme, building its teams around 'Mech companies. This allowed them to separate out into smaller, faster units that could easily handle the various terrain types present on Broken Wheel, their garrison world.[11]

First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Regular/Reliable)[9]
In 3079 the First was based across the worlds of Hephzibah, Redondo and Vaucluse and was operating at seventy percent of full strength. Thirty percent of the unit was using advanced equipment.[9]

When deployed in company strength or less, the First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia gains a +1 Initiative bonus.[16]

When deploying a force that includes BattleMechs, vehicles and infantry the First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia gains a +1 Initiative bonus. This bonus is in addition to any bonus arising from deploying at company strength or below, for a maximum possible total +2 bonus.[16]